


no love like your love

by wouldratherbe



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mutual Pining, Single Parents, Slow Burn, others will eventually join, question mark, rip shelby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23503606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wouldratherbe/pseuds/wouldratherbe
Summary: And on the other side, why should we deny the truth?We could have less to worry about, honey, I won't lie to youor: Following the death of her mother, Rachel Berry assumes guardianship of her six-year-old brother, Daniel. After a cross-country move for his sister's job, the first friend Danny makes is a soccer-playing, lucky fin having, firecracker of a girl named Beth.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Sam Evans, Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 23
Kudos: 171





	1. Required Personnel Only

**Author's Note:**

> title from 'nobody' by hozier

_**San:** Rent is due in three days, Q. And we need more milk, so I’ll go after I pick up Bets tonight. Anything else we need? (7:57 a.m.)_

_**Me:** beth needs more juice pouches for her lunches. Other than that, no. thank youuuuuu (8:02 a.m.)_

_**San:** yeah yeah tell nubs to have a good day (8:03 a.m.)_

_**Me:** we love you, have a great day (8:03 a.m.)_

Quinn locks her phone, and turns around in her seat, staring at her half-asleep daughter in her booster. “Beth, baby, it’s time for school.”

Beth rubbed her face with what remained of her left arm, what she called her “lucky fin,” and yawned, before unbuckling herself and leaning forward into the front seat. She surveyed the front of her school, pulling a face, before her big brown eyes lit up, accompanied with a bright grin, albeit a little toothless. “Mama, I get to see Daniel today! And work on the science project. We’re counting apple seeds, and then we get to _eat_ the _apples_.” She tugs on her mom’s shirt, making sure she understands. “Mama, apples!”

“That’s so cool, Beth. Who’s Daniel?” Quinn asked, stepping out of her car and pulling her daughter out along with her. She ignored the way her stomach turned at the action.

“Oh, he’s new! He’s in my table group, and he has glasses, and he touched my lucky fin and said that it felt really soft. And we ate lunch together. And then, at recess, I told him we’re getting married. And he plays soccer, too! I think we’re on the same team, but I’m not sure.”

Quinn froze in the middle of the walkway, looking down at her daughter. “Married?”

“Yeah. Under the big tree. Bye, Mama!” She let go of her mother’s hand, and ran down the rest of the walkway to her classroom, sidling up next to an adorable little boy, who immediately gave her a hug and high fived her lucky fin. Quinn may have melted a tiny bit. She got one more frantic wave from her daughter, and then a tentative wave from the little boy next to her before they entered their classroom.

She tried to wrap her head around what had just happened on her drive to work, and eventually gave up and called Puck. Who, of course, overreacted.

“She _what_?”

“She said she’s going to marry this little boy,” Quinn laughed. “She said they’re going to get married under a tree. Apparently, he touched her arm and said it felt _really soft_ , and now she’s in love.”

“She’s six! She can’t be in love! She’s a baby! She’s, she’s… she’s _my_ baby! Who is this kid?”

The blonde rolled her eyes, turning into the car park for the subway. “His name’s Daniel, and he’s six, Noah. You’ve got a good ten years before she starts even thinking about boys.”

Puck was silent for a moment, and Quinn took it as acceptance, before he said, “You had Beth at fifteen!”

“Okay, well… _nine_ years, then. Either way, she’s in first grade. You have time.”

“Yeah, I better. No daughter of mine will be a teen mom.” Quinn scoffed, mouthing a _thank you_ to the security guard, and Puck continued. “I said what I said. And as for this little Daniel… I might be coming to California sooner, if he can’t-”

“ _Six_ , Noah, they’re _six_.”

“Well. You know what I mean. Hey, I’m at work, so I’ll call tonight, before bedtime.”

“You got it. Bye, Noah.”

“Bye, Quinn. I love you.”

She bristled, and pressed the red button before he could say anything else. He always tried to do that, and she could usually pass it off to Beth, or cut him off before he said anything, but she was too late this time. She did love Puck, but not the way he loved her. She loved him because of the father he was to Beth. She loved him because of the love he showed her, six years ago, when neither of them knew what the hell they were doing. She loved him as a very close friend. But she didn’t… _love_ Puck. No matter how hard she’d tried in those first couple of years. Quinn knew that he was just waiting, biding his time until she ran into his arms and returned those words with a kiss. 

But she couldn’t bother with that at the moment. She had other things to focus on. Their _daughter_ , for one. The huge cross-country move she’d pulled off a year prior was another. And her job. Oh, her well-paid internship at the award-winning magazine _Interchange_ , run by Holly Holliday, who’d hand-picked her to shadow their top editors. The job that she was going to be late for, if she couldn’t get off this train soon.

The railway was crowded, and she still had a fifteen minute walk, and there was a huge sign right where she needed to go. God, what did that sign say?

**E MARIPOSA AVE TO E GRAND AVE**  
**CLOSED FOR FILM SHOOTING**  
**REQUIRED PERSONNEL ONLY**  
**CAST/CREW ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRY**

Quinn double-checked her calendar, cursing when she saw the notification. _Movie filming starts today! Get to work early._ Great. Quinn got to walk into work twenty minutes late today. Amazing.

Luckily, Sam was waiting for her at her desk, with a coffee and a reassuring smile. “Did you forget filming started today?”

Quinn scowled, accepting her coffee and nodding. “I thought it was next week.”

“This week. But it should be done by next week, and then they’ll be down at the beach.”

The woman quirked an eyebrow as she set her bag down, swiveling around to log into her desktop. “How do you know that?”

“Mike’s dancer friend’s roommate is in it, I guess. I think she’s kind of important?”

Quinn hummed noncommittally, turning back around to look her friend in the eye. “What’s her name?”

###### 

“And cut!”

Rachel slumped as Will made his way over to her and Jesse, letting her chin fall into her hand. Her makeup artist tutted at her, pulling her hair from where it was caught in her hand, and running yet another brush through it.

“Hey, you guys. Doing great, doing great, shot looks great. Uh, Rachel. When Jesse leans in, let’s try maybe leaning away from him. I want more…. more malice in these lines, yeah? You don’t trust him yet.”

“Right,” Rachel nodded, avoiding looking at Jesse. He’d only make her laugh right now.

Signing on to play opposite her best friend had been a no-brainer, especially when the director was the Academy nominated William Schuester. Although, she had to admit, he was starting to piss her off. She didn’t even know why, though she suspected it had to do with his inability to let her use her own creativity with the lines. Rachel was never one to be bossed around.

“Okay, I’m going to go talk to the DP, and then we’ll start again.”

Both actors nodded, and Jesse poked his friend, smiling encouragingly. “First day’s almost done.”

Rachel sighed. “Only almost?”

“Oh, come on. Look around you. You’re in heaven…” The conversation fell flat, but the woman had a little smile on her face as she thought about how lucky she was to be there. “How’s Daniel doing? At his new school?”

Rachel sat up straight at the mention of her little brother. “Good, I think. I dropped him off today, and he said he was excited to see this girl in his class.”

“Aw. How’s he handling LA?”

“His nightmares have stopped, but they were already lessening back in New York, so I fail to see any correlation… He mistakes me for her a lot, though.”

“Well, you’re her spitting image. Or, you…” He gets an uncomfortable look on his face, as if he doesn’t know how to respond. Which she thinks is ridiculous. Hilarious, even. As if he wasn’t there when the officers showed up to her house. As if he hadn’t held her hand as they lowered her mother into her grave. As if he hadn’t been there when she realized that she was now her baby brother’s legal guardian. As if he hadn’t stuck by her side through it all.

She decides to have mercy on him. “Yes, well.”

“How are _you_?” he asks, and she freezes, focusing on the fake muffin in front of her. Actually, it’s definitely real, but she was told not to eat it, so it might as well be fake. What did Jesse say?

“Okay, guys, ready?” Will calls from beyond the blue tape, and Rachel nods frantically, beyond happy when the cameras start rolling again, and Jesse schools his face into an impassive frown.

Rachel leaves the set a couple hours later, before he can ask any more stupid questions, and finds it dark when she exits her trailer. She knows he’ll just call her later, but maybe she can feign sleepiness or write it off as bad timing. Either way, she doesn’t talk to Jesse.

When she gets home, the first thing she sees is Brittany, laughing along to some sitcom. And there he is. Asleep, curled up on her roommate’s lap, thumb in his mouth. He’s in his airplane pajamas, His glasses lay on the coffee table, meaning that he’s been asleep for a while. A quick look to the clock shows that it’s already eight forty-five.

“We had macaroni for dinner. Danny picked it. And then he took a shower, and we finished homework, and watched some tv. He’s probably been asleep for an hour, now.” Brittany runs a hand over his dark curls as she speaks, and when she stops, Daniel wakes up, eyes squinting as he looks around. He focuses on Rachel, and holds his arms out, snuggling into her collarbone when she picks him up. He’s getting heavy; she won’t be able to do this much longer.

“Thank you Britt,” Rachel breathes. She was supposed to be home earlier. She missed her brother’s whole day.

“No problem. Goodnight, Danny,” she whispers, patting the boy’s back and handing Rachel his glasses. “I’ll talk to you in a bit, Rachel.”

“Night, Britt,” Danny says, rubbing his eyes again.

They make their way up the stairs, and by the time he’s in his own bed, he’s asleep again. Rachel moves to turn off his lamp as she leaves, but a tiny hand grabs hold of her sweater and won’t let go. “Mommy.”

She inhales sharply, putting her hand over her brother’s and squeezing it in her own. “Daniel, it’s Rach.”

His brow furrows, and then he frowns, turning onto his stomach as he speaks. “Oh. I miss mommy.”

“I miss her, too, buddy.”

It’s silent, and Rachel moves to get up again, only to feel another tiny hand pulling her back. This time, she slips into his bed, curling up around him. She doesn’t think she’ll be getting into her own bed tonight. “Will you sing to me?”

“What do you want me to sing?” Rachel already knows the answer, but she asks anyway, and smiles when he responds.

“Over the rainbow.” She hums, and he turns to face her, eyes already shut. 

_Someday, I’ll wish upon a star_  
_And wake up where the clouds are far behind me_  
_Where troubles melt like lemon drops_  
_High above the chimney tops_  
_That’s where you’ll find me_

“Is that what it’s like?” a little voice interrupts.

“What what’s like?”

“The better place. Where Mommy is.”

Rachel pauses, thinks. “I hope so.”

The little boy seems to accept that answer, and nods graciously. “Mommy would like that. I love you, Rachel.”

“I love you, Danny.”


	2. Cheeto Kisses

“Rachel? Rachel, wake up. It’s seven-fifteen. Daniel’s gonna be late. Rachel!”

She sat up, startled out of her sleep, and noticed Brittany in the doorway, cup of something in her hands. A quick look at her phone showed that it was, indeed, 7:15. Daniel had school in an hour, and he wasn’t even awake. She was suddenly thankful for his sharp schedule, and the fact that he always set out his clothes the night before.

“Danny, buddy. Hey, time to get up. We’re late, you gotta get up,” she murmured, shaking him awake. Brittany left, claiming that she’d get Rachel’s outfit ready, as Rachel guided her half-asleep brother to the bathroom to brush his teeth. She left him there to get ready, and returned thirty minutes later to see him hurriedly stuffing his shirt into his jeans.

“Rachel, we’re late! We have to go!”

“I know. Where’s your backpack?”

He tugged it out of his chair, and ran ahead of her down the stairs, tripping a little. Brittany stopped them on their way out the door, handing Rachel a sweater and Daniel his lunch, leaving Rachel a bit confused by the domesticity of the whole situation. Since when was this her life? What the hell happened?

She pondered it as she pulled into the school, feeling Daniel’s anxious ticks kicking into her chair, and sighed as the clock read _8:23_. He was late now. She’d have to walk him in herself. “Come on, bud, let’s go,” she sighed, parking and unbuckling.

Daniel stayed in his seat, staring straight ahead. “No. I’m late now, everyone’s going to look at me. I can’t walk in now.”

Rachel stared at him, patience running thinner and thinner the longer this conversation went on for. “Daniel, seriously, if this is one of your little fits, I might lose my mind. We have to go inside. No one will look at you.” She unbuckled him, and picked him out of his seat, ignoring the way he shoved at her and stamped his foot on the ground, refusing to take his backpack. She blocked him as he tried to crawl back into the car.

“No! I’m not going! You can’t make me! I hate you!” he shouted, and Rachel froze, staring at her baby brother. He wouldn’t look her in the eye, leaning his forehead against the side of her car. “You’re not my mom!”

“I know I’m not your mom!” she shouted back. “Believe me, I know, Daniel! I don’t want to be!” Her voice cracked, and she shut the door, leaning against it as the tears rushed to her eyes. Daniel still didn’t look at her. “Don’t you think I wish she was here? Don’t you think I miss her, too?” No response, but the boy turned around, and stared at the school in front of him. “You can hate me all you want, but all I’m trying to do is be a good sister and take care of you. So can you please, _please_ just bear with me, and go to school today? Please.”

He turned to look at her then, and took his backpack, trudging into the office and getting a late pass, and then making his way towards his classroom. Rachel went with him, standing a foot or so behind, taking in the way he dragged his feet. The way his head hung low. She never should’ve moved them here.

His class is on the opposite side of the school from the office, but he makes it, eventually, and, with a reassuring hand on his head, opens the door, his tiny hands shaking in anticipation. A couple kids look back, one being the little blonde that Daniel is always telling Brittany about. She waves him to their table, and Rachel smiles, leaning down to kiss his cheek and say goodbye. He wipes it off, and gives her a dirty look, and she nods, trying to squash down the hurt feelings. _He’s six, Rachel._

“Miss Corcoran.” She turns around, coming face to face with a short little woman, who smiles reassuringly before handing her a note. “This is my phone number. I’d like to arrange a parent teacher conference for Daniel, since he missed the first semester conference during the transfer. So call me anytime after three, and we can set one up.”

“Okay… Thank you, Mrs. Ray. I will... be in touch. Sorry for the tardiness. It won’t happen again.”

“It’s okay. I know that you’re doing your best. It’s enough, you’re doing enough.”

Rachel tries to carry that thought with her as she makes her way to work, stopping at a cafe on a whim. Because New Rachel does things on a whim, and has a child. Right, that makes sense.

_**Britt:** dude i think there’s a ghost in the house (8:44 a.m.)_

_**Me:** No, there isn’t. You’re just paranoid because of what happened in that hotel in Calabasas. (8:45 a.m.)_

_**Britt:** my point exactly. California’s haunted. (8:46 a.m.)_

Rachel shook her head, smiling as she shut off her phone and paid attention to the worker making her drink. They usually got her order correct, but you could never be _too_ careful, and- oh, she knew him. That was… Sam, yes! Brittany’s friend’s boyfriend. Or friend. Or… something. She shrugged, and waved at him a bit, getting his attention.

“Hey, Sam!”

He looked at her, and she knew that he instantly recognized her, but merely pointed as his brow furrowed. “Hey…”

“Rachel,” she flushed, pressing her hands against her skirt. “I’m Brittany’s roommate. We went to-”

“Ah, Rachel! No, I definitely remember, I just - I’m sorry, I’m terrible with names.” He ran a hand through his hair, laughing softly as his cheeks pinked. “How have you been? You’re filming something around here, aren’t you?”

“Yeah! I’m doing okay. We just started, so it’s a long road ahead of us, but it’s fun. How about you?”

“Good! Really good.” The barista called his name, and he turned away for a second, continuing to speak. “Hey, we’ll have to do something again! With Mike and Brittany, and I have a couple other friends in Corona that we can include. I’ll have Mike set it up.”

“For sure!” Rachel beamed. “See you, Sam!”

He waved, and she watched him leave, just a little jealous of the freedom he had. God, she needed a night off.

###### 

“Sam, I need a night off,” Quinn murmured, sipping the coffee he handed her. They held their badges up to the scanner, and Sam gave a bright grin to the security guard (most likely trying to make sure he looks as much like his ID as possible), thanking him. Quinn just nodded her head with the softest of smiles and continued on.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about that, but it’ll have to wait, because you’re the first person on Holly’s meeting list today.” He stared at his phone further, scrolling down as he held the elevator open for her, and ultimately shook his head. “I’m not on it at all, so I guess there were no PR mishaps in the last twelve-”

“What?” 

He held his phone out, and she grabbed at it, eyes unnaturally wide. “Yeah. Quinn Fabray, _9:15_ , production meeting. What time is it now?”

Quinn fumbled for her own phone, tapping it on and staring at the digits. “Sam? Sam. It’s _9:15_ right now. Oh, God. I’m late to my own meeting.”

“In my defense, I tell you every day that you should look at the meetings list, and you never do.” He squeezed her arm, smiling encouragingly as the elevator doors opened, and guided her out, moving into his own section of the floor.

“Oh, my God,” Quinn gasped, rushing as she made her way to Holly Holliday’s office. The woman was, to her credit, the most relaxed boss in the business. None of her employees _truly_ feared her, and Quinn told herself that it was fine. She was _fine_. She wasn’t about to get fired, because she hadn’t done anything wrong! Besides showing up at least five minutes late every other day. But she was salary! So it didn’t _really_ matter, as long as she got her work done. And Holly had even shown interest in her when she was hired, going so far as to strike up a conversation with the girl about her portfolio. So she just needed to be calm, and knock on the door.

“Quinn! Come in,” Holly beamed, sitting at her desk. “Have a seat.”

“I’m so sorry I’m late. My daughter’s school is horrible around rush hour, and we were running late, but that’s no excuse, so I’m sorry.”

“No, calm down. You’re absolutely fine. It’s two minutes.”

Quinn nodded, biting on her lower lip. She pressed her hands against her stomach, a nervous habit that she _hated_ , and forced a smile.

“You have a daughter?” Holly asked, clearing her desk of the newest publication so she could pay full attention to her employee. “How old is she?”

“Six. She’s in first grade.”

“That’s so sweet. I love kids. Had this whole magazine thing not worked out, I was going to become a teacher. But I’m getting off track. That’s not why I called you in here.”

The woman folded her hands on her desk, and grinned at Quinn. “I want to offer you a chance to write a piece for the magazine.” 

Quinn almost fell out of her damn chair. “Huh?” Great! Great answer, very eloquent.

“I don’t usually do this with interns, I’m not going to lie. But Sam, from Media, had me read some of your writing. It’s good. It’s really good. I want more of it. So you will be writing an article about new-age motherhood. Got it?”

And Quinn could almost kill herself for what she said next. Her time in highschool taught her that you take what you can get, and you don’t ask any other questions. But that also led to her daughter. It was a flawed theory. “Could you be more specific?”

“Could you? Do you have any ideas?”

The girl squirmed in her chair, staring at her hands. She had millions of ideas. She always had millions of ideas. “I’ve always wondered how other mothers are doing it. How moms like myself are doing it, as well as moms doing different jobs, doing it with partners, doing it completely alone… I’ve always wanted validation. Everyone always says you don’t need validation, and you don’t, but… when I was… not even sixteen, and they just sent me home with a newborn… I always kind of wanted someone to tell me that I was doing a good job.”

Holly leaned forward, nodding. “Write that validation for others. Okay? You have a good idea. Flesh it out. I want interviews with other mothers, and Sam can help you out with that, if you need it. It’s your article now, Fabray. I trust you.”

Quinn grinned, subtly pinching herself. This was real. “You won’t regret this.”

Holly smiled even brighter, somehow. “I know. Now get on out of here. And if you need anything, let me know.”

She _might’ve_ happy-danced her way back to her desk. Sam tried to ask her something at lunch, and she barrelled through, talking about her article and how she’d written things out already, and she was kind of behind on picking the photos for the mini article she was in charge of editing at the moment, but it didn’t matter because _she had her own piece_. Quinn was even giddy enough to call her sister on her way to Beth’s school after work, gushing about the interviews she was going to have and how she was going to get to take artistic liberties and help pick the photographs and she should probably update her headshots, and-

“Quinnie, slow down. That’s so cool, but you need to take a breath.”

Quinn laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t care. Oh, I see Beth, can I call you later?”

“Yeah, of course. Tell my favorite niece I say ‘hi’.”

“Your only niece.”

Her sister hung up shortly thereafter, and Quinn turned off her car, hopping out and making her way to where her child was talking to a stranger. Of course she was. If it weren’t for the mini skirt she was wearing, Quinn would’ve thought she was one of the older kids. But no, this was a random woman. Upon further inspection, she saw that a little boy was right next to her daughter, holding on to her backstrap, and Quinn knew that this must’ve been Daniel. And his mom, maybe?

She got there just in time to hear her daughter proposition the woman. “We should have a playdate.”

The little boy nodded enthusiastically, tilting his head. “I promised to show her Brittany’s dance room, and my new green soccer ball.”

“Beth, we have to go,” Quinn said, waving at the little boy and giving the woman a tentative smile. “Sorry to break up your little rendezvous.”

“What’s that?” Beth asked, holding her arms out for her mother to pick her up. Quinn obliged.

“It’s a dance move, like this.” Daniel moved his foot in a circle, and the brunette woman laughed.

“That’s rond de jambe. I’ll explain rendezvous in the car. Bye, Beth! It was nice to meet you.” The woman smiled at Quinn one last time, before turning away.

“Bye, Daniel!” Beth screamed, waving when the boy smiled at her. They made their way back to their own car, and Quinn set her daughter in her carseat, buckling her in and kissing her cheek.

“How was your day, babe?”

Beth shrugged, pushing her messy locks out of her eyes. “Good. How was your day, Mama?”

“It was really good, baby girl.”

They drove in silence, until Beth called her mom, tilting her head. “Mama, what’s a Rachel?”

“What?”

”Well, today, Daniel said his mommy isn’t here anymore. He said that he doesn’t have a daddy, and his mommy is in the better place, so he has a Rachel instead.”

Quinn’s heart clenched in her chest as she realized what her daughter was saying. She wasn’t prepared to answer questions on mortality right now. She’d honestly rather explain where babies came from. But Beth was looking at her expectantly, her big hazel eyes staring at her through the rearview mirror. Maybe she could just move past the whole… better place thing.

“Well… his mommy is in a better place, so… just like you have Santana, Daniel has Rachel. That’s her name, baby. Her name is Rachel.”

Beth nodded in understanding, her mouth forming a little, “Oh. Well, I said that he can share my mommy, if he wants.”

Quinn feels her heart break all over again for the little boy, and shakes her head imperceptibly, before smiling at her daughter. “What’d he say?”

“He said okay, but he doesn’t know how to give me his arm.” 

Quinn laughs despite the weight in her chest. They don’t say anything more until they’re in their kitchen, eating Santana’s Cheetos. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. And Quinn needs junk food to continue this conversation. “Beth, I’m really proud of you for being Daniel’s friend.”

Beth frowns, her brow furrowing in a way that just _screams_ ‘Puck’, until it morphs into a quirked eyebrow that screams ‘Quinn’. “Mama, I’m everyone’s friend,” she reasons, moving to sit in her mother’s lap.

Quinn grimaces at the orange hand that makes itself known against the hem of her white dress, and nods. “I know, but I think Daniel needs a little extra love right now. I’m glad you’re able to give it to him.”

Beth’s obviously confused, but nods anyway. “Okay Mama. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She receives a cheeto-dust filled kiss, and scrunches her nose at the girl, taking the Cheeto out of her hand and popping it in her own mouth.

“Mama? Are you gonna go to the better place?”

The question forces her to stop, and she rests her wrists against her thighs, taking in a shuddering breath. “No, baby.” _Not as long as I can help it, anyway._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last scene with the cheetos almost made me cry; wish we'd gotten scenes where quinn actually interacted with beth :/ imagine
> 
> Please leave comment and kudos!!! Thanks for reading xx


	3. Pretzels, No Hummus.

_Capri-suns. Fruit snacks. Pretzels. Hummus. Grapes._

“Ow!”

“Nubs, I told you to keep your head up.”

Quinn glanced at where her roommate was trying to do Beth’s hair. Santana had a brush in her mouth and half a plait in her hands, trying to braid the flyaways they never could tame. Beth, for her part, tried to sit still, her own hand playing with the tiny blue rubber bands that matched her shorts. Quinn smiled at the sight, and went back to trying to pack snacks for Beth and Santana.

_Capri-suns. Fruit snacks. Pretzels. Grapes… Hummus!_

“Auntie, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, Nemo. What’s up?”

“Are you and Mama married? Ow!”

Santana and Quinn stared at each other, an incredulous look on both of their faces as Beth rubbed the spot on her head that was hit by a falling brush. Santana broke first, laughing hysterically as Quinn tried to resume breathing. _What was Beth talking about?_

“Nubs, your mama and I are the best of friends. You know that. And I help take care of you, because you are just too much for any one person to handle. And also, I love you and sh… stuff. So I live with you and mama and I get to love on you guys and make fun of you. You two are my girls. But no, mija, your mom and I are not married.” The unspoken, _you’re my only family anyway_ , hangs in the air, unbeknownst to Beth.

The blonde woman stared at her roommate as she finished Beth’s hair, an incredibly vulnerable look on her face. One that she only wore when she was with Beth. She looked as if she felt a little out of place at the declaration, and Beth was waiting for her to continue, so Quinn took over, hoping her daughter wouldn’t notice Santana’s shaky breath.

“Remember how we talked about different kinds of families, babe?” Beth nodded. “Yeah. It’s no different. Our family is you, and Auntie, and Mama. And that’s all we need it to be, right?”

Beth nodded, straightening her back as Santana tied the last band around her hair, and turned around to hug her aunt. “I love you, Tana.”

“I love you, too, Nubs.”

Quinn looked away from the moment, focusing on the snacks. She had enough for Santana and Beth… She’d add a third Capri-sun, just in case either of them went and spilled. Which they both had, numerous times before. Once the hot pink water bottle was filled, she left the kitchen, tugging on her sweatshirt. “Ladies, we need to leave soon. Beth, where’s your bag?”

The car ride to the complex was uneventful, as far as car rides with the Fabray-Lopez clan went. They screamed Adele at the top of their lungs, and Santana recorded the whole thing, and Puck called as soon as they got there.

“I just wanted to tell my baby girl to kick some ass!”

Quinn groaned, shaking her head as she exited the car. “No, Beth. Just have fun.”

Santana grinned at the phone, and looked at her niece, giving her a thumbs up. “Nubs, I will give you twenty dollars if you make someone cry today. Thirty if it’s a boy.”

“And _I_ will take it away just as fast! What is wrong with you guys?” Puck and Santana laughed at the obvious anguish the young mother was under, staring at her little girl and begging her to understand that violence was not the answer. “Just go play and have fun, Beth! And be _nice_.”

“And kick some ass!”

“And kick some ass.”

“Okay, bye, Puck.”

She hung up rather unceremoniously, and Beth smiled at her, squeezing her hip with her little hand. Quinn smiled as the little girl breathed in, once, before pushing off her and running towards her circle. The coach they’d met with a week before, Coach Ken, high-fived her and had her take a knee with the rest of the group, calling roll.

“You think she’ll be okay?” Quinn asked, not once taking her eyes off her daughter’s lucky fin, staring at the way she kept repositioning the ball to keep hold of it.

Santana scoffed, looking at her best friend. “Quinn, it’s Beth. She’s half Fabray, and half Puckerman, with a little bit of Snixx in there. She’s gonna be more than okay.”

Quinn nodded, letting herself relax a little bit. And then tensing up again when she heard, “Shit!” a few yards behind her.

The parents all turned around, soccer moms and dads raising eyebrows and nudging each other as they watched a tiny, _tiny_ brunette woman pull a boy out of a car, and hand him a soccer ball. They had a brief conversation, and the woman ruffled the boy’s hair and told him to go.

Quinn thought she recognized him as Daniel, and gave him a friendly smile as he ran past her, before parking himself right next to Beth. It took her a second to realize him, but when she did, she jumped, tackling him to the ground. She shook her head as Santana laughed, and yelled, “Beth, babe, get up! Let him breathe!”

She heard a chuckle from behind her, and turned around, spying the woman, Daniel’s… oh. This was Rachel. The woman smiled at her, and sat on the other end of the picnic table that Beth and Santana were occupying, giving them a nervous smile.

Quinn smiled back, and Santana looked as if she’d seen a ghost, and they all turned back to watch the children.

Quinn prided herself on not freaking out. Sports were… a _deal_ for her. She constantly worried, checking to make sure Beth hadn’t fallen, or been pushed, or what have you. Her daughter’s difference was just a part of their lives, and she knew that Beth herself paid little attention to her missing forearm. Santana was the same way, tossing jokes the child’s way and making sure to kiss her right hand and the scar on her left arm whenever she deemed necessary. But Quinn…

Quinn held guilt, and trauma, and pain when it came to Beth’s lucky fin. She was able to bush it back, most days, and she’d worked through a lot of it, but it still tended to manifest at times; some expected, and some so far out of left field that she didn’t understand what the hell happened. But this, this was expected.

Before they broke for snack, their coach gave each kid a double high-five, and when he got to Beth, he looked a little lost, as if he didn’t know what to do. Beth, for her part, just high-fived him with her hand and her limb, jumping a little to reach the awkward height. Santana laughed a little, but Quinn grimaced, watching as her little girl ran over to her, chest heaving and hair a mess.

“Snack! Snack! Snack!” the kids chanted, going up to their respective parents and holding out grubby hands for sanitizer. Santana, of course, was included in the chants.

“Seriously, how old are you?”

“Old enough that I know what I wants. And what I wants is my snackies.”

Quinn rolled her eyes, before they caught on a blushing Rachel and a disappointed Daniel. She hasn’t said a word to the woman the whole practice, only sharing a couple laughs and scoffs at the children's attempts at soccer. But it was obvious that Rachel was extremely underprepared and overwhelmed and all of those amazing feelings parents get to experience. And, based on the glances Rachel passed to all the other parents, Daniel didn’t have a snack.

“Quinn?”

“Hold on.” She tucked the hand sanitizer into the pocket of Beth’s backpack, and counted the snacks inside. There was enough for Daniel. Santana would just have to… be an adult, for once in her life. The Latina stared at her inquisitively, her eyes asking a question that Quinn tried to answer. She didn’t know how successful she was as she passed Beth a bag of grapes and a juice pouch.

“Hey, Daniel?” she asked, attracting the attention of both the little boy and his guardian, who tilted her head when she saw the bag of snacks that Quinn was holding out. “Do you like grapes? Or hummus? There’s some fruit snacks, too. And juice.”

Rachel fixed her with a confused look, grasping Daniel’s hand before he could take it. “You don’t have to-“

“No, it’s fine. I have extra. Seriously. Here.”

The little boy looked to Rachel, and she nodded, allowing him to take the grapes, and the pretzels (not the hummus), and the juice, and sit by Beth and the rest of his teammates in the grass.

Quinn watches them with a smile, ignoring Santana’s bitching at her side as she grabbed the fruit snacks and the extra juice pouch. Daniel meant something to Beth, so he meant something to Quinn. And even if he didn’t, he was a hungry kid, and she was a mom with food. Santana was a grown ass adult. Easy decision.

“Thank you.”

Quinn turned around, glancing at the brunette. She shrugged. “No biggie. I always pack extra.”

“For _me_ ,” Santana muttered, looking away when Quinn fixed her with a particularly scary glare.

Rachel nodded, once, before looking at the group of kids. “She’s so cute, your daughter. She looks just like you.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty okay. I think I’ll keep her. Daniel’s adorable, though. He’s all she’s talked about, as of late.”

The woman laughed, and Quinn found herself smiling with her. “Same here. We’ll bring Beth a snack next time. We were running late. And I’m new to this whole ‘parenting’ thing, and-”

“Yeah, Beth said that Daniel mentioned something like that.” Quinn cut her off before she could explain, not wanting to force the woman to explain herself. She heard Santana call her daughter, and both kids got up and ran over, laughing as Santana made a huge deal of Beth’s tangled curls.

Rachel smiled slightly, her eyes on her brother, and Quinn got the feeling that she wanted to talk to someone about it. Or felt she needed to. “Yeah. Our mom… she died in March, and…”

“Seriously. Don’t feel like you have to explain yourself. Look at him. He’s alive. He’s laughing. So you’re doing great.”

Rachel smiled at Quinn, and the blonde found herself grinning with her, again. She didn’t know what this woman was doing to her, but it’d happened more than once now.

“You guys are doing great, too, really. Beth’s lucky to have such good moms.”

Rachel didn’t understand the looks on the women’s faces until the mom spoke.

“No, no, no. We’re not. Santana is Beth’s aunt. Honorary aunt. She’s not- we’re not-”

Rachel’s stomach dropped to her ass in horror as she hurried to apologize, holding her hands in front of her. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to assume.”

“No, it’s fine, we get that a lot. We’re just roommates,” Santana laughed, shaking her head as she sent an oblivious Beth and a confused Daniel back to the field. “Don’t worry, Hobbit, your girl’s single and ready to mingle.”

“Santana!” Quinn admonished, ponytail whipping around as she stood toe to toe with her roommate. They watched each other, and the blonde was saying things that Rachel couldn’t hear, but the roommate just powered through, undeterred by what she imagined were pretty cruel threats.

“She is. As a matter of fact, I will be out of town in a few weeks for a whole weekend, and-”

Finally, Beth’s mom got her to shut up, shoving her towards the parking lot with a forced laugh. “Goodbye, Santana! I’m sorry about her.”

Rachel shook her head, grinning. She was pretty when she flushed red that like, but Rachel decided to save her from any further mortification. “No, no, it’s fine. She’s just being a friend, in… what I think, is her own way.”

The blonde rolled her eyes, picking up a pink soccer bag from the ground. “You’re right about that.” She turned back to the field to keep an eye on her daughter, biting her lip.

“So, she’s Santana? And you’re…”

A blonde ponytail swished back around as the woman turned to face her, cheeks pinking up again as she looked at Rachel, no doubt remembering what her roommate had said. “Quinn. Fabray.”

Rachel nodded, looking thoughtful as she watched the girl grow redder under her gaze. She smirked. “Quinn Fabray. That’s a pretty name.”

And then she looked away, because she really wasn’t in a position to be doing anything close to flirting, especially not with her little brother’s best friend’s _mom_. She could practically hear Jesse now.

Quinn shifted, drawing Rachel’s attention back to her hazel eyes. “Thank you, Rachel Last Name.”

“Rachel Berry. Well, Corcoran, technically, legally, but Berry.” The feelings and memories that bubbled up with that statement made her eyes blurry, unable to focus on a singular thing, and she pushed it back as they talked more, about everything and anything. Quinn didn’t ask about her mother, and Rachel was infinitely grateful, instead watching the head of curls that was bouncing in place, watching his teammates pass the soccer ball back and forth. She noticed how Quinn tensed up everytime Beth so much as stumbled into someone else, and watched for a bit longer, before tacking a question onto the end of Quinn’s discussion about good doctors in their area. Or… not a question, a statement.

“I’ve noticed that Beth’s arm…” Okay, half a statement.

Quinn’s shoulders tightened up a bit, before she nodded, refusing to look Rachel in the eye. “Yeah, it was amputated right below her elbow when she was about eighteen months old.”

Rachel hummed, picking up on the barrier that had come between them in the previous ten seconds. It was like Quinn had shut down, almost, and Rachel wanted to kick herself for bringing up something so sensitive. But how was she supposed to know in the first place? She watched Quinn cross her arms and turn to the field, and ignored how Santana came up behind them, silent.

The blow of a whistle startled her, and she breathed a sigh of relief, glad that practice was over, and she was able to escape whatever had just happened. Daniel ran over to her, grabbing his bag and stuffing his ball in, before running back to where his friend was talking quietly with her aunt.

Rachel took the opportunity to look at said little girl’s mother, and wringed her hands together as she watched her pack up Beth’s things. “I’m sorry I asked, I just… I don’t know. I didn’t realize it was such a sore subject.”

Something clouded over Quinn’s eyes, and she shook her head, taking a moment to wrap her arms around herself as she searched for Beth. She seemed to relax a little bit when she saw her, before something else that Rachel didn’t recognize clouded her vision. “No, it’s just… Beth doesn’t really like to talk about it. She’s pretty… self conscious about it.”

They silently watched their kids walk through the parking lot, the way Beth held her bag on her shoulder as she high fived Daniel, before gripping Santana’s hand again. The way it slid off and onto the ground a good three times before Daniel picked it up and put it on her other shoulder. Her mother had raised him right. Rachel didn’t know how she’d keep up with it.

Beth turned around, and waved at Rachel, before yelling at her mother to hurry. Rachel pretended not to notice how Quinn’s breath caught in her throat.

“On my way!” she yelled across the lot, smiling at her daughter. “I should go…”

“It was nice meeting you, Quinn. See you… sometime?”

“Yes, see you around.”

Rachel tried not to watch Quinn walk away, but she couldn’t help it when she heard Beth’s squeal, and saw her lift the little girl onto her shoulders, groaning that she wouldn’t be able to do it much longer. She felt Daniel at her side, and they turned to each other simultaneously, the same look of sadness on their faces. As much as Rachel wanted her mother back, she wanted Daniel to have his mom that much more.

It wasn’t until they were halfway home that the little boy spoke, staring out the window. “Did you get Quinn’s phone number?”

Rachel balked at the question, eyes widening at the child in her backseat. Was she that obvious with her flirting? So obvious that her six-year-old brother realized it? Did he… encourage it? “Why?”

“For a playdate!” Daniel drawled out, as if it were obvious.

Rachel sighed, and she hated that it sounded kind of disappointed. “Oh. No, I didn’t, but I definitely should’ve.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and they've met! things are rolling along now.
> 
> any/all mistakes are mine, and considering i'm a little bit d***k right now, that's probably quite a few.
> 
> leave kudos and comments! they make my day!! Thanks for reading xx


	4. Follows and Fanart

It was like playing Tetris.

Beth’s ladybug suitcase kept sliding in between Quinn’s carry-on and her large one, and that would push Santana’s against the back of the trunk and cause a horrible scratching sound as it slid around. The blonde growled, shoving Beth’s suitcase into the backseat as the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Finally fitting, the trunk shut easily, and Santana gave Quinn a thumbs up through the rearview mirror. Quinn rolled her eyes.

“Quinn, hi!”

A tiny brunette came into her line of sight, and Quinn’s breathing stuttered as she took in the woman. Rachel looked extremely put-together, like always, in a mini skirt and striped sweater. It made Quinn feel even more out of place than usual, with her travel attire that consisted of leggings and an old college sweatshirt that used to be Sam’s.

“Hey, Rachel. What’s up?” Quinn breathed, arms crossing over her stomach as she walked toward the first grade classrooms. Memories of their soccer conversation, and how it ended, pushed to the front of her mind, and she bit her tongue before her face could contort into something resembling unkindness.

“Nothing much. I got off work early today, so I could pack. Danny and I leave tomorrow, to go home. But that isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.” Her brow furrowed as she looked at the ground, trying to remember what she was going to say. Quinn stared at her, watching how she wrung her hands together, as if nervous.

“It’s about Danny’s party. His birthday is in a couple of weeks, in the beginning of December. And I want to invite Beth, of course, but this is also the first time I’ve had to, like, plan one for him, and I was hoping you’d have some tips. Obviously, if you can’t, or whatever, that’s fine, of course. You’re just the only person I really know who is, like, my age and understands what this is like, and I assumed you would know-”

Quinn held a hand up to stop the rambling, a grin forming on her face. “I’d love to help, Rachel. You want my number?”

The blonde smiled at the slight relief gracing Rachel’s features, relaxing her brow. Rachel held her phone out, and Quinn entered the digits quickly, catching sight of her daughter and Daniel running their way.

“And maybe, we could meet up for playdates, and stuff,” Rachel threw in, pocketing her phone just in time to catch the little boy that flew into her arms. “Hi, Bubs.”

Quinn could only nod, as Rachel pulled Daniel away quickly with talks of preparing for their trip. She and Beth had their own trip to get to, anyway.

The flight was relatively easy. Beth fell asleep early on, as she usually did, barring that one nightmare flight right before she turned three. Quinn had been looking forward to talking to Santana, but the woman had put on headphones and her neck pillow and dozed off almost immediately, so Quinn occupied herself with Netflix, searching for further inspiration for her newest article.

She was looking for a second movie, one happier than Steel Magnolias, when something caught her eye. Or someone, more like. Shelby Corcoran.

Corcoran.

_Wait. Wait a minute._

Santana would’ve called the speed in which Quinn paid for the egregiously expensive on-flight wifi _dangerous_ and _irresponsible_ , but Quinn was onto something, and she couldn’t wait three hours to find out.

_She looks just like… Okay, spouses. Hiram Berry, 1996 to 2002. Children, children... Rachel Barbra Corcoran-Berry, born 1996. Daniel Blake Corcoran, born 2014…_

“Holy shit,” Quinn muttered, earning a particularly hard glare from the older woman in front of her. She ignored it, clicking on Rachel’s name.

**_Rachel Corcoran-Berry_** _is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway…_

**_Buzzfeed:_** _Rachel Berry Out And About in Los Angeles With Co-star Jesse St. James…_

**_JustJared:_** _Here’s what we know about Rachel Berry’s upcoming project!_

**_Vulture:_** _Rachel Berry Moves to LA With Daniel Corcoran Following her Mother’s Unti…_

**_PerezHilton:_** _Rachel Berry spotted supporting little brother Daniel at soccer practice…_

Quinn clicked on the last link, brow furrowing as the page loaded, and a picture of Rachel and Daniel walking through the parking lot filled her screen. She scrolled, not bothering to read the story, and focused on the first picture. It was just Rachel, standing along the sidelines, and Daniel, doing his own drills. She was relieved to see that they’d blurred out all the kids’ faces, but frowned when she caught sight of her profile, laughing at something Rachel was saying.

_Rachel Berry (24) laughs along with a soccer mom off the field._

She scrolled down again, and her frown grew bigger as she spotted her face again, along with Beth’s this time. The kids were twirling, and Quinn knew that this picture was maybe a week or two old.

_New friends! Daniel Corcoran (7) and Rachel Berry (24) engage in conversation and laughter outside Daniel’s public elementary school._

What the hell-

Quinn abandoned the site, and opened Twitter, typing in _Rachel Berry_ and pressing search.

_r4ch3lb3rry: crumbs. we get crumbs now. twitter user @ **rachelberry** can u post soon pls_  
_st **berry** love: ok but who’s the blonde bc i’m pretty sure that’s the same person and if so is she good enough for MY **rachel**_  
_rachmurph: **RACHEL BERRY** YOU’RE ALIVE BITCH- omg look at my bbs i hope they’re happy periodt. someone tell daniel to stop growing pls and ty._  
_**rachelberry** s: i say that’s my baby and i’m really proud_

Quinn raised her eyebrows at the sheer number of fan accounts, before heading to Instagram. Last post was three months ago. Before that, she’d been posting pretty regularly. Quinn followed her before she could overthink it, and set her phone down, waiting for something. She didn’t really know what. It came, though.

**_Instagram:_** _rachelberry followed you._

Quinn didn’t know why she was so giddy at the prospect of Rachel following her. But apparently she was still giddy when they landed hours later, and Santana picked up on it right away, even in her half-asleep state.

“Why are you so… peppy?” she asked as they settled into the Fabray household. Frannie wasn’t coming until later in the week, so Quinn took her bedroom, and let Santana take her own. 

Quinn, though, was currently hunched at the breakfast bar, editing an article for an issue that was due in two weeks. Sam had sent it to her on the flight, and she reasoned that if she finished it now, she’d have all day with Beth. This was taking forever, though. “Did you know that Rachel, from soccer, is, like… famous?”

Santana gave Quinn an incredulous look, brow furrowed as she considered what Quinn was saying. “Are you saying you _didn’t?_ Quinn, do you seriously not listen when I talk? I literally talked about all the shows I saw her in in New York. What’s wrong with you?”

Quinn remained silent, eyeing her document a little too hard in order to avoid Santana’s glare. She usually tried to tune her best friend out in the car. Too much of what she said was just… insane. Her phone rang at the perfect time, despite it being past midnight, and Quinn smiled when she saw Sam’s name pop up.

“Hey, Buddy!” she practically sang, giving Santana a faux-apologetic smile before moving to the back porch to take the call.

“Hey! How’s vacay going?”

“The past hour’s been good, so far. How about you?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Just packing. Mike’s dancer friend came over for drinks, because she’s leaving tomorrow to go to New York with her roommate. She’s super fun, though. Once we’re all back in town, we need to go out together, like you said. Maybe you could even link up with her… she’s so sweet. Very pretty. A dancer. Good with kids.”

###### 

“Why are you telling me this?”

Hiram scowled at Rachel. “Honey, you need to go on a date. It doesn’t have to be with Joshua-”

“It won’t be,” Rachel muttered under her breath.

“But it should be with someone. How about Jesse?”

“Jesse’s gay.”

Hiram and Leroy both sighed, and Rachel rolled her eyes. Joshua, even though her fathers said he’d be perfect for her, wasn’t an option. None of their suggestions were. “I’m actually going out with Jesse tonight, for your information.”

Leroy clapped his husband on the shoulder and squeezed as Rachel’s dad tried to get another word out. “Well, that’s good. That’s good. When are you picking up Daniel?”

Rachel looked at the text from her grandmother. “Tomorrow night. We’re going to dinner with Aunt Lily, and then I’ll stay at Grandma’s. We’ll all be over Thursday morning, though, to help with dinner. And then Leon, Jordyn and I are going Black Friday shopping. Blaine, Jesse, Britt, and I are going to see a show Friday night, so I won’t be home until late.”

Hiram pulled into the driveway of her childhood home, smiling tight as he turned to face her. “I think that’s a good plan, Rachel. And your friends are, obviously, more than welcome to come over for dinner.”

Jesse was, as usual, no help while she was getting ready, instead choosing to spout unhelpful comments from her bed while she tried on a number of dresses. “Rachel, our reservation is in forty minutes. We need to go.”

_“You guys are gonna be late,”_ Blaine laughed from Jesse’s phone, and Jesse held it up for her to respond. She flipped the camera off. _“Babe, you look fine. You need to go.”_

She frowned, but nodded to herself, setting her shoulders back. They did need to go, though she would never admit her friends were right. “Okay, then. Blaine, when are you coming out to LA?”

“I’ll be there right after Daniel’s birthday, through the New Year. Just in time for all of the holiday galas. But I’ll see you the day after tomorrow, when we go to the show.”

Rachel nodded, taking Jesse’s phone to say goodbye to her manager, ignoring the protests in the background. “Well, we anxiously await your arrival.”

“Don’t get into trouble while I’m not there to fix it,” he murmured, looking away at something that had caught his attention. His cheeks colored.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” She grinned, waving at the camera. “Bye, Blainey.”

They were late for their reservation. Jesse glared at Rachel for a good five minutes while they waited to be seated, and Rachel smiled sweetly back, ignoring the words he was mouthing at her. They _were_ seated, anyway, and it took Jesse all of thirty seconds to start talking about her love life.

“Whatever happened to that one girl? The barista?”

“I mean, I threw away her number, if that’s what you’re asking,” Rachel muttered, rolling her eyes. “Can you imagine?”

Jesse rolled his eyes right back, before fixing her with a smug look. There was no ill-will in it, though. He just looked like that. “Okay, then. How about that one guy teacher you said was hot? Wasn’t he a librarian, or something? At Daniel’s-”

“I can’t date someone who sees Daniel everyday. That would be insane.”

“Okay, fine. How about… what’s the soccer mom’s name? Quinn?”

Rachel straightened at the name, shaking her head. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” the man questioned, picking up on the way Rachel reacted. “She’s cute, isn’t she? And Daniel already loves her. He’s best friends with her kid, right?”

“No, Jesse. She’s… innocent isn’t the right word, but you know what I’m getting at. She’s unaffected. I don’t even think she recognizes me. And that’s good, for once. It’s good. It feels like I have an acquaintance who kind of understands what’s happening, what I’m going through. I don’t want to… We’re friends.”

The waiter came over before he could drill into her anymore, and Rachel was glad for the distraction, ignoring her friend. That was the end of their privacy, it seemed, because as soon as the waiter left, a young girl came up to Rachel, eyes wide as she asked for an autograph, and a picture. And then the whispering started. Rachel wasn’t even surprised when, later that night, she was tagged in numerous photos, one from the teenager herself.

Her mind drifted to Daniel, and then to a certain pair of blondes, and she found herself scrolling through an unfamiliar Instagram, smiling softly at the familiar little face that appeared in so many posts, before she furrowed her brow and closed the app. God, she was _not_ stalking Beth’s mom. They followed each other, and that was enough. Goodness.

###### 

“Found anything good?” Santana called, biting into a cheese stick and scowling at Beth, who made a face, motioning for her to string it.

Quinn shrugged, feet kicking at nothing in the air as her head hung off the couch. “Not really. A bunch of her fan accounts followed me. They’re analyzing our interactions.”

“Nice. Can’t wait to see the fanart.”

“Shut up, Santana.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg i updated.
> 
> please leave kudos and comments if you feel moved to!! Thanks for reading xx


	5. Damned Delight

Rachel’s head kept falling forward as she dozed, propped up by one arm in her chair. Six am call times were no joke, and having a child in her bed kicking her all night was even less of one. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a good night’s sleep. Last week in New York, _maybe._

Sandra, her stylist, tugged roughly on Rachel’s scalp, and she flinched, her head rocketing back. “Sorry, babe.”

“No problem. I think I needed it, you know? I’m still half asleep,” she joked, yawning to emphasize just how tired she really was. And she _was._ But it wasn’t due to being half asleep. Rachel was wide awake, and completely exhausted. Life was exhausting. This movie was exhausting. Getting Danny ready for school in the morning was exhausting.

And Jesse wasn’t here this morning. His call time was two in the afternoon, and Mercedes Jones was Rachel’s scene partner this morning.

Rachel loved Mercedes, for sure, but it was different. Mercedes didn’t know her like Jesse did. _No_ one knew her like Jesse did, though, and she was sure no one ever would. Except, maybe Blaine. Rachel flipped her phone around in her hands, staring at the black screen. She had been so _bored_ lately. She missed Blaine.

Unlocking her phone, she opened the messages app, and located his number.

_**Me:** what are you doing? [7:16 a.m.]_

She played Among Us on her phone for a solid thirty minutes, waiting for a reply, before pouting and looking at herself in the mirror. Sandra was only halfway done with her hair.

Rachel unlocked her phone again, sending another text, but to a different person this time.

_**Me:** Hey! It’s Rachel, from Daniel’s school! Hope I’m not bothering you, but is there a time I could call? Daniel’s birthday is coming up, and I had some questions. Thanks so much! [7:50 a.m.]_

She sent it before she could freak out over it, chewing on her bottom lip as her stomach turned. And then, the message said _read,_ and Rachel powered her phone off, unable to think about why Quinn reading her message filled her with so much anxiety. She had a scene to prepare for, anyway.

She didn’t think about it again until Jesse walked up to her and Mercedes, wrapping his arms around both of them, and laughing as they shrugged him off, rolling their eyes. He was in full hair and makeup, the top half of his costume draped over his arm in favor of his white undershirt. Rachel smirked at the memory of him dropping a meatball on one of his sweaters, and then hot chocolate on the backup. Louis didn’t let him wear his costumes while eating, anymore.

“How are my favorite women?” he tried, swiping a bagel from craft services, and plucking the jelly out of Rachel’s hands. “Scene done?”

“All done! Now, I get to go home, and you two can stay here until midnight!” Mercedes laughed, picking up her plate and waving them goodbye, planting a kiss on Rachel’s head. Rachel blushed, glancing down at her phone.

“Really? Mercedes? I mean, I love her more than anything in the world, but she’s painfully straight, Rachel. And out of our league, too.”

“Out of _your_ league, maybe,” she scoffed, frowning as she tucked her phone back into her jacket pocket. “I’m a damned delight.”

Jesse smacked the back of her head lightly as he sat down, immediately raising his hands when he heard Sandra shout his name from the other side of the room. “Then why are you blushing so hard? Oh, is it… _Quinn?_ Did you text her?”

Yes. She texted Quinn, and it’d been seven hours, and Quinn hadn’t said a damn _word,_ and who didn’t look at their phone once over the course of seven hours? Was Quinn, like, insane? She _seemed_ normal.

“Are you going to say anything?”

“Yes.” Rachel frowned then, and he raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in confusion. She sighed. “She didn’t say anything.”

“Maybe she got busy. Who knows? I bet she’ll text later.”

They sat in silence, Jesse eating his bagel, and Rachel’s sandwich, before shrugging. “You should just have a pool party. Kids love pool parties!”

“It’s December,” Rachel reminded him, scowling as she held his hand in front of her mouth, taking a bite of her own sandwich before he could eat it all.

“We live in LA.”

“Still December.”

He rolled his eyes, and she pinched the back of his arm. He was so annoying, sometimes. “Well. If you change your mind, you can use my pool… And then, after all the kids have gone home, you and Quinn can use the hot tub!”

Rachel stood up, tugging on the hem of her sweater as she went. “Shut up, Jesse.”

“I’m serious! I’ll watch the kids! We’ll make ourselves scarce.” He waggled his eyebrows to emphasize his point, and she scoffed, pulling him up with her.

“What makes you think I’d want to do any of that with Quinn? I barely know the woman. I haven’t even said anything about her since that dinner-”

“Where you talked about her for a whole hour. And you got all twitchy and doe-eyed. Honestly, it made me jealous. But, as your friend, I’m saying that you should get some.”

Rachel knew she was grasping for straws, but she couldn’t stop now. Not when Quinn _still_ hadn’t texted her back. She glanced at her phone to confirm, and… Nope. No Text. “Jesse, she’s the mom of my brother’s best friend.”

Jesse ran a hand through his hair, pulling his button-up on and handing the coat to his assistant. “Look. All I’m saying is, you need to get in that girl’s pants. Or _someone’s_ pants. Anyone’s.”

###### 

“Think about it. One night, kid free! With people your age who want to party.” Sam spun around in her desk chair as he debated his points, tossing her rubber band ball in the air. “Quinn, we live in coastal California.”

Quinn shook her head at him, glaring at his back when he went to rescue her ball from where he’d tossed it into Chase’s cubicle. “We don’t live in coastal California. We live in Corona. And saying that makes you sound like a tourist.”

Sam full-on _laughed_ at her, rolling his eyes. “I’m from here, and you’re from _Ohio._ Nothing I say makes me sound like a tourist, because that’s not possible. And anyway, we work in coastal California.”

The woman felt her phone vibrate in her skirt pocket, and huffed, gesturing for her friend to get out of her chair. He refused to budge, instead taking the binders in her arms and moving them to her desk. “Barely. Besides, who am I supposed to find to watch Beth on short notice?”

“Two weeks from now is short notice?”

“Sam-”

“Come on. Please. One night,” he begged, eyes going wide and blue in the way that meant he desperately wanted something from her. She would take that over the physical force Santana used to get _her_ way. “And you can meet new people, and my parents will watch Beth if you need them to. They’ve done it before, and they adore her. Come on, Quinnie. We’re young, we’re free.”

Quinn swayed silently for a second, considering her options, before she shook her head. “I have a child.”

“Doesn’t stop you from being young and free.”

They stared at each other, in a standstill, and Quinn started to feel a little guilty at the number of times she’d blown off Sam since the summer ended. Even _Santana_ had gone out with the boy once, when Beth had come home and vomited all over the front of their apartment building (she’d come home talking about tall blondes and dancers, and Quinn would be lying if she said she wasn’t jealous). She groaned.

“Fine. Can I do my work now?”

Her phone buzzed again, reminding her of the unread message, and she unlocked it, tapping on the green icon and smiling at the sight of Rachel’s name.

Sam _ooh_ ed, leaning against the wall of her cubicle and grinning. “What’s with the cute little head tilt? Who are you talking to?”

_**Rachel:** Hey! It’s Rachel, from Daniel’s school! Hope I’m not bothering you, but is there a time I could call? Daniel’s birthday is coming up, and I had some questions. Thanks so much! [7:50 a.m.]_

“No one. Don’t worry about it,” she muttered, schooling her features into a neutral expression and placing her phone in her bag. “Do you need anything else, Sam?”

“No! Don’t mind me. I’ll just be in my office... In case you want to discuss anything.” He left with a click of his tongue, humming some Top 40 song under his breath.

“I won’t!” she called after him, turning back to her desk. She had a meeting in ten minutes, and Sam had effectively distracted her from doing her work for half an hour.

She was distracting herself from catching up to her morning work that night when she saw the text, down a few people in her messages.

“Shit, I forgot to text Rachel back.”

Santana furrowed her brow, ushering a now-clean Beth into the girl’s bedroom, and turning back to the living room to stare at her roommate. “Rachel?”

Quinn nodded, thumbs pattering over her keyboard as she typed and retyped and re-retyped a response. “Yeah, this mom - or, not mom, but… woman, who has a kid in Beth’s class-”

Santana rolled her eyes, falling onto the couch next to the blonde. “I know who Rachel is, dumbass. What did she want?”

“We’re helping with Daniel’s birthday.”

“‘We’ as in…”

“Me, Beth… You, if you want, I’m assuming.”

Santana pretended to hate the news, but Quinn knew that she would be more than happy to plan any sort of party. The tiny humans were her favorite type of people. And _speaking_ of tiny humans…

“Tana, we need to make lunch.”

Santana quirked her eyebrow, a slow smile spreading across her face as she reached out to tickle the girl’s sides. “What are you _talking_ about?”

“For tomorrow!” Beth squealed, pulling Santana off the couch and dragging her to the kitchen.

“Hurry up, you two. Beth, you still have to call Daddy before you go to bed.”

“Beth, let’s eat the cheesecake Mommy thinks she’s hiding,” Santana stage-whispered, shooting Quinn a devilish grin.

The blonde huffed, staring at her phone screen, and finally typing out a reply.

_**Me:** for sure!! sorry for responding so late. talk tomorrow? [8:57 p.m.]_

The response came instantly, and Quinn didn’t think twice before she shot off a second message of her own, a smirk on her face.

_**Rachel:** Yes! Thanks so much. [8:58 p.m.]_

_**Me:** np :) how was your day? if you don’t mind my asking [8:58 p.m.]_

Rachel’s reply was instant, and Quinn could feel a blush settling on her cheeks as they went back and forth.

She didn’t know how long she stayed up, texting the other woman, but she could hear Santana call Puck for Beth, and at one point, the little girl kissed her goodnight. If she had to guess, Santana had been asleep for an hour when she moved from the couch to her bedroom, but the texting didn’t stop until she fell asleep, in the middle of a conversation on just _how_ easy it was to write original songs.

Quinn thought it couldn’t be that hard. Rachel knew it wasn’t easy. They promised to write one together sometime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive!
> 
> please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed!! thanks for reading xx

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone's wondering, I hc mia talerico as beth and lonnie chaviz as daniel.
> 
> This is my first Glee fic! So go easy on me! But still leave comments and kudos please!!!! Thanks for reading xx


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